Braiding-machine.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.,

THOMAS RMIT'I, OF CLIFTON, NEW JERSEY.

BRAIDING-.MACl-IINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part 0f Letters Patent No. 648,679, dated May 1, IQOO. Application led January 18, 1900. Serial No. 1,831. (No model.l

To fr?! H'wm if muy eopcern:

Be it known thatLTHOMAS ARMITT,acti

zen of the United States, residing in Clifton, in the count v of Passaic and State 'of New J ersey, have in vented certain new and usefulImprovements in llraiding-lllachines; and I do hereby declare the followingr to be a f ull,elear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying draw ings, and to letters and numerals of rpferencc marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to braiding-machines; and it consists in an auxiliary mechanism for machines oft-his nature of-teatutility in man ui'acturing the material described in my eopending application, filed October 19,1899, Serial No. 734,047. This material, brietlyde scribed, consists of a flexible core about which the braid is formed, the braid and the core coaeting to secure in place stems of leaves, shafts of feathers, the., which extend through the braid and between the same and the core,

thus producing artificial branches, feathers,

sprays of tlowers,&c. Itis of course impracticable to windy a material of a nature such as this upon reels or spools, and so I have provided. the mechanism above referred to and hereinafter particularly described for holding; it in place until a predetermined quantity of it has accumulated.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, wherein I have fully illustrated my invention, Figure 1 is avview in elevation of the upper portion ot' a braiding-machine and showing my auxiliary mechanism therefor, and Fig. s is a top plan view of what is shown in Fig. l.

z designates a pair of standards which project upwardly from the frame of the braidingmachine and constitute a portion thereof and which are sui-mounted by a bridge-plate b, said bridge-plate being secured to thestandards by bolts e. While connecting the 'two standards o, the bridge-plate does not span thespace directly between them, but is formed with a recess produced by providing the ends of the plate with parallel projections d,wl1ich the bolts c, for securin g said plate in position,

penetrate.

' c designates a pair of arms secnredto the projections d, preferably by means of' screws f, and arranged in opposition and projecting toward each other. The free ends of these arms e are turned slightl y outwardly, as at g, though this `is not essential.

h designates a supporting means arranged vertically above the braiding-machine. This supporting means may be a pair of t-hebeams sustaining the apartment inwhich the machine is situated or any other stationary elements. 'llo thearms c I secure eyes i, and preferably perpendicularly above these eyes I secure to the supporting means h other eyes j. ,Each eye -z' and its corresponding eyel; are

connected by a taut wire or other similar device la. Y

I is an L-shaped bracket having a vertical slot m, whereby it is adj ust-ably secured, by means of a bolt n, to a lugo on the plate b, said bracket project ing downwardly from the plate and carrying at the extremity of its horizontal portion a horizontally-extending arm p, and said arm beingprovided with a longitudinal slot q, which is penetrated by a set-screw. 1', adapted for adjustably securing each arm to the bracket.

The end of' the army o tis provided with an opening through which the fibers or threads s, that are to produce the finished braided inaterial @extend and within or near which the braiding or interweaving of the threads is effected. The arm p is adapted to be adjusted, so as to bring its opening in the ver-V tical plane of the two wires la and midway between them.

Arranged on the wires so as to be guided thereby, is a carrier to which the extremity of the finished material is adapted to be connected, as hereinafter described, and which is adapted to be elevated, drawing said material afterit and maintainingit at the proper tension. Said carrier consists of a bar u, which is penetrated at its ends by tubes tf, through which the Wires 7c extend. Said carrier also comprises as a partof its structure a threaded hook zr, which extends through the bar at the central portion thereof, being` standards c, and it carries a worm-Wheel 9,

' 11. The shaft il may be operated man naliyiL 14 in Fig. 1) is introduced up into the con` fore being suspended vertically'andnothav# elevating the .carrier and keeping the finished other liexible connection which is fixed to the upperend of the hook w at one of its ends and which at the other of its ends passes over` a spool or drum l, upon which it is adapted to be Wound. Intermediate the hook and. the

drum the cord extends over pulleys 2, sta-h tionarily mounted in proximity to the supporting means 71,.

The drum l is ,mounted upon one end of a shaft 3, which is journaled in bearings 4, mounted upon the plate l, While on the other, end of the shaft 3 is secured a pinion 5, that is in mesh with another pinion 6, carried by a revoluble shaft 7. The shaft 7 is journaled in brackets 8, projecting from. one of the (shown in dotted lines in the drawings,`) whose f teeth engage a Worin l0 upon a verticai su:

by a crank and handle 12 or automatically by gearing 13. (Shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1.) In operation as fast as the material is produced the drinn 1 is rotated either automatically fromthe ,fearing 13 or manually by the crank and handle 12, as above set forth, thus y material at the'proper tension. As fast as the material is braided, the stems of theV leaves, the shafts of the feathers, &c., are introduced among the intertwining threadsin the neighbox-hood of the arm p, their free ends projeeting downwardly.v Simultaneously the core (designated by the reference ,charactervergenfeeof the cone of threads s. As fast as the finished material is elevated, thereing to pass-over pulleys or the like, it keeps its shape. 0f course the supporting means may be disposed at any desired distance above the machine,as hereinbelore intimated.

Having thus particularly described. my iuvention, what I claim as new, and desirel 'to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a braiding-machine, the combination, with the frame thereof and with, a support disposed appreciably remote therefrom and above the same, oi' guiding means connecting said frame and the support, said guiding means being rectilineal in forni, a carrier engaging and movable on said guiding means, and means for elevating'said carrier, the finished material being adapted to be connected to said carrier to be elevated thereivithubstantinlly as described.

2. In a braiding-machine, the combination, 'with the frame thereof and with a support disposed appreciably remote therefrom and above the same, of armsprojeeting from said frame, a plurality of parallel wires connecting said arms and the support, a carrier penetrated by said wires and movable thereon, and means for elevating said carrier, the iinished material being adapted to be connected t frame, a plurality of parallel Wires connecting said arms and the support, a carrier penetrated by seid wires .and movable thereon, pulleys disposed contiguous to said support, a revoluble drum, means for rotatingA said drum, a fiexible connection extending over said druni at one oi'- its ends and secu red to the carrier at theother of its ends, said flexible connection passing over the pulleys, and the nished material being adapted to' be 'connected to said carrier to be elevated therewith, substantially as described.v

4. Ina braidingmachine, the combination,

with theframe thereof and with a support disposed appreciably remote therefrom and above the saine, of arms projecting from said frame, a plurality of parallel Wires connecting said arms and the support, a bar penetrated by said wires near its ends and movable thereon, a hook carried by said bar, pulleys disposed contiguous to .said support, a revoluble drum, means forrotating said dru m, and a flexible con section-.extending oversaid drum at one of its ends and secured to the nook at the other of its ends, said flexible connection passing over the pulleys, and the finished material being adapted to be connected to said nook to be elevated therewith, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoiapfelL have hereunto set my hand. this .16th day .ofi- 

